Bipartite mining planer with intermediate floor cutters



April 15, 1969 w. GEORG ETAL 3,433,679

A BIPARTITE MINING PLANER WITH INTERMEDIATE FLOOR CUTTERS Filed m a, 1967 Sheet of IN VE N TOPS WERNER GEURG EHRISTOPH RASSMANN April15,1969 W.GEORG ETAL 3,438,679

BIFARTITE MINING PLANER WITH INTERMEDIATE FLOOR CUTTERS Filed Jul e, 1967 Sheet '2 of 2 INVENTORS. WERNERBEURG EHRISTDPH RASSMANN United States Patent 3,438,679 BIPARTITE MINING PLANER WITH INTERME- DIATE FLOOR CUTIERS Werner Georg, Altlunen, Westphalia, and Christoph Rassmaun, Lunen, Westphalia, Germany, assignors t0 Gewerkschaft Eisenhutte Westfalia, Wethmar, near Lunen, Westphalia, Germany Filed July 6, 1967, Ser. No. 651,501 Claims priority, application Germany, July 19, 1966, G 47,462 Int. Cl. E21c 27/32 US. Cl. .29934 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Bipartite mining machine, e.g., planer, for extracting mineral such as coal from a mine face, including a pair of articulatedly interconnected base members each having a pair of longitudinally spaced apart runners adapted to be received guidably in a longitudinal guide disposed along the mine face, e.g., a mining conveyer equipped with guide grooves, to maintain the machine in the desired longitudinal path along the mine face, and each having main cutting means and floor cutting means positioned for cutting engagement with the mine face in the corresponding operative direction, such that the floor cutting means of each base member is disposed longitudinally between the corresponding pair of runners, preferably with the main cutting means being positioned longitudinally outwardly of the floor cutting means, and optionally with a top portal span equipped with upper level cutting means being articulatedly connected to the base members longitudinally outwardly of the floor cutting means as well.

The present invention relates to a bipartite mining planer adapted to be conducted longitudinally back and forth along a mine face in extractive engagement therewith, and which includes on the separate base members not only main cutting means, but also floor cutting means, as well as spaced apart runers on each base member to guide the planer in a longitudinal guide associating therewith, with each floor cutter being interposed between the pair of guide runners on each base member.

In conventional mining planer constructions for the extraction of mineral, such as coal, from a mine face, the floor cutters are normally positioned as far forward as possible in the direction of travel, being set ahead of the rest of the cutting tools, and especially ahead of the guide runners for the planer in the particular cutting direction. This positioning of the floor cutters at the longitudinally outermost position has the disadvantage that the planer during travel along the mine face tends, at those points, where the planer guide rises or falls, to follow directly this change from the normal longitudinal path and in fact to exaggerate or intensify in an excessive manner the change of direction. This occurs, for example, where undulations are found in the mine floor along the mineway which cause the corresponding longitudinally positioned guide, such as a mining conveyer, to rise and fall or undulate correspondingly. Nevertheless, the deflection of the planer out of the normal path and in turn toward the roof or toward the floor is greater than the corresponding deflection of the longitudinal guide caused by the undulations.

The main reason for the exaggerated undulations of the planer as compared with the undulations of the mine floor is because of the positioning of the floor cutters ahead of the guide runners in the given direction of advance, whereby a lever arm eflfect is generated between 3,438,679 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 such outwardly disposed floor cutter and the corresponding guide runner therebehind carried by the planer body.

The practical elfect of the exaggerated deviation of the planer from the normal longitudinal path caused by the unevenness or undulations of the mine floor is that mineral is left uncut along the floor at those points at which the longitudinal guide has taken an upturn toward the roof and a hump in the floor results. In the same way, hollows form at those points at which the longitudinal guide turns downwardly. At these points the planer tends to work even deeper into the floor. As the winning of mineral progresses during the back and forth movement of the planer, the humps become more pronounced, as do the hollows, so that higher humps and deeper hollows ultimately result.

The usual arrangement is to provide the longitudinal guide in the form of articulatedly interconnected sections in longitudinal end to end relation. As aforesaid, a mining conveyer, in the form of individual articulatedly interconnected sections, may be utilized in the normal planing operation and such conveyer may be provided with longitudinal guide means along the side thereof adjacent the mine face being worked. The guide runners on the planer are slidably received in appropriate channels or slots in the guide means carried by the conveyer whereby to maintain the planer in the desired longitudinal path at the mine face. Usually, the channel or slot in which the guide runners of the planer are received also houses a portion of the traction cable means such as a drive chain used to conduct the planer along the mine face, with the appropriate ends of the drive chain being attached to corresponding lugs or guide runners of the type in question.

In this connection, it will be realized that any previous attempts to overcome the foregoing problem have required the use of rearwardly extending keels or swords underlying the appropriate guide means, such as a conveyer, but such modification is attended. by further disadvantages involving the need for additional power to overcome the friction generated between the keel and the mine floor on the one hand and between the keel and the underside of the conveyer on the other hand. The additional power required to conduct the planer back and forth along the mine face in the case where a keel or sword is used may be appreciated more fully when it is considered that the conveyer is normally filled with mineral being conveyed away from the site of mining operations and which adds significantly to the inherent weight of the conveyer itself.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing disadvantages and to provide a bipartite mining planer in which guide runners are employed to guide the planer along the desired path of travel in conjunction with longitudinal guide means disposed adjacent the mine face, with floor tools carried by the planer in such a manner as to avoid excessive cutting into the floor or formation of humps or mounds in the floor caused by corresponding deviation of the guide means from the normal path in consideration of irregularities and undulations inherent in the mine floor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a planer of the foregoing type having filoor cutters disposed with respect to the guide runners on the planer such that an inherent path of movement is assured for the bipartite planer which compensates any upturns or downturns at the junctions between the successive sections of the longitudinal guide means, such as a mining conveyor, used to guide the planer along its path of travel at the mine face.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a construction and arrangement in which any humps or hollows which might inherently occur in the normal planer operation are not intensified or exaggerated, but instead which are gradually leveled out in spite of the play necessarily present by reason of the articulated interconnection of the longitudinal guide means sections.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the foregoing type in which the positioning of the floor cutters on the separate bipartite planer base members is such that the floor cutters do not cut into the coal as long as the coal is still fully gripped in the bedding but only cut mineral in the vicinity of the floor after the main cutters have already cut part of the coal out of the breast or mine face, or have at least scored this portion of the coal or other mineral, i.e., above the vicinity of the floor.

It is a still further object of the present invention to avoid the need for a specific minimum distance between the bipartite planer base members in the case where a top portal span is intended to be used, yet with the leading cutting tools of the portal span effectively cutting mineral from the mine face above the level of the floor while the trailing cutting tools are withdrawn from cutting operation and maintained in an efficient minimum friction contact with the mine face.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the foregoing type which avoids the excessive loss of mineral which would otherwise penetrate the space between the bipartite planer base members required heretofore to accommodate a top portal span.

It is a still further object of the present invention to attain an effective and uniform guidance of the planer with a minimum loss of mineral, with a full cutting effect of the leading tools engaging the mine face and with as full as possible a withdrawal of the trailing tools from frictional engagement with the mine face, in dependence upon the relative position of the guide runners, floor cutters, and main cutters on the respective bipartite planer base members as regards the longitudinal relationship of such parts.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the foregoing type in which the top portal span may be connected to the main planer base members at points longitudinally outwardly beyond the positioning on such base members of the corresponding floor tools utilized.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the within specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation over a bipartite planer arrangement in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the working face side;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view, or top view, corresponding to that shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic end view corresponding to that shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a modification of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 in which the bipartite planer is equipped with a top portal span.

It has been found, in accordance with the present invention, that a bipartite mining planer adapted to be conducted longitudinally back and forth along a mine face in extractive engagement therewith may now be provided so as to avoid exaggerated formation of humps and hollows in the mine floor caused by mine floor irregularities and normally intensified by the longitudinal guide means utilized to guide the mining planer back and forth along the mine face.

Specifically, the bipartite mining planer, in accordance with the present invention, comprises a pair of articulatedly interconnected longitudinally extending base members, main cutting means positioned on each said base member above the level of the mine floor for extractive engagement with the mine face in the corresponding Operative direction, a pair of longitudinally spaced apart runner means connected to each said base member and adapted to be received guidedly in longitudinal guide means disposed along such mine face to maintain such planer in the desired longitudinal path along the mine face, and floor cutting means positioned on each said base member adjacent the mine floor and longitudinally between the corresponding pair of runner means thereat for extractive engagement with the mine face in the vicinity of the mine floor in the corresponding operative direction.

Preferably, the floor cutting means are positioned longitudinally intermediate the corresponding pair of runner means thereat in order to attain most efiicient operation. Also, the main cutting means are positioned preferably on the base members longitudinally outwardly of the corresponding floor cutting means in the corresponding operative direction to attain a precut of mineral above the floor and thus a stabilizing cutting operation at the floor.

In accordance with a modification of the bipartite planer arrangement, a longitudinally extending top portal span having auxiliary upper level cutting means operatively disposed thereon may be connected articulatedly at the corresponding ends thereof to the corresponding base members at points preferably longitudinally outwardly of the floor cutting means. The portal span is connected articulatedly to the base members, preferably at the corresponding upper end portions of the main cutting means and such main cutting means are disposed preferably longitudinally outwardly of the floor cutting means on the particular base member in the corresponding operative direction. The portal span includes conveniently upper level cutting means at both ends thereof which are positioned preferably above the particular main cutting means thereat for joint main and upper level cutting in the corresponding operative direction.

Advantageously, the longitudinal guide means disposed along the mine face for guiding operatively the planer includes channel means or slot means in which the run ner means of the planer are received, the guide means conveniently being provided in the form of a mining conveyer having guide track means thereon in which the runner means of the planer are received.

In this way, the normal maintenance of the back and forth path of movement of the bipartite planer will be attained in conjunction with the normally disposed guide means therefor at the mine face, yet by reason of the positioning of the floor cutters between the pair of spaced apart runner means on each planer base member, the floor cutters will not exaggerate humps and hollows in the floor as in the past, but rather will tend to level out any unevenness in the mine floor as the winning of mineral progresses.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly FIG. 3, a longitudinal guide means in the form of a conveyor 10 is disposed adjacently to the mine face (not shown), having a guiding ramp 11 situated at the side of the conveyor adjacent such mine face. Ramp 11 is provided with an upper guide channel or rack 12 having a longitudinal slot 13 to accommodate the corresponding runners or lugs 22 and 23 (see FIG. 1) connected to the mining machine. Furthermore, ramp 11 is provided also with a lower guide groove or track 14, in which a corresponding lower runner or lug 24 of the mining machine is accommodated. The front guide edge 15 of ramp 11 rests on the mine floor 16 adjacent the mine face. The mining machine or planer 17 is thus disposed for travel along the ramp 11 With the lower runner 24 disposed in the lower longitudinal track 14 and with the upper runners 22 and 23 disposed in the upper track 12, so that by means of a traction cable shown in the form of a drive chain 21 situated in the channel or track 12 and connected at its ends to the appropriate outer runners 22 (see FIG. 1), such planer 17 may be conducted back and forth along ramp 11 in proper engagement with the mine face. For

this purpose, the main cutting means shown in the form of the main tool carrier or cutter 25 as well as the floor cutting means shown in the form of the floor tool or cutter 29 are disposed on the planer so as to extend in the desired operative direction for extractive engagement with the appropriate level of the mine face.

The planer 17 may be seen more clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2 apart from the relationship thereof with the longitudinal guide in the form of the conveyor and damp 11. In FIG. 1, the conveyor 10 is shown schematically and it is seen that the planer 17 is composed as a bipartite planer including a pair of base members 18 and 19 articulatedly interconnected by a short chain couple 20- or other articulation connection means. In this way, the longitudinal guide means in the form of the conveyor 10 and ramp 11, which are usually provided as articulatively interconnected short sections disposed in end to end relation in order to accommodate unevenness in the mine floor, guide planer 17 along the longitudinal path so as to follow the mine floor irregularities.

Nevertheless, the main cutting means in the form of the cutting tool carriers mounted at the outer ends of the respective base members 18 and 19 serve to engage extractively the mine face via the main tools 27 whereby to stabilize the course of the planer 17 along the mine face. This action is carried out in conjunction with the guidance of the outwardly disposed upper runners 22 and medially disposed upper runners 23 on the base members together with the lower runners 24 which slide along the appropriate tracks 12 and 14 of the ramp 11 as described in connection with FIG. 3.

A given floor cutting means 26 carrying auxiliary tools 28 and a floor tool 29 is disposed in each instance on a corresponding base member such that the floor tool 29 is disposed for normal cutting operation in the vicinity of the mine floor 16.

If desired, transverse stops 33 may be provided on the base members 18 and 19 so as to extend into appropriate spaced wall apertures 34 defined in the medial portions of the floor tool carriers 26 with the floor tool carriers 26 being pivotally attached to the base members for limited pivoting within the range of the spaced walls of apertures 34 in conjunction with the transverse stops 33 about the corresponding axes of pivot 35.

In FIG. 2 the longitudinal relationship between the runners 22 and 23 of each base member with respect to the positioning of the floor tool 29 therebetween may be appreciated clearly as well as the preferred positioning of the main tool carriers 27 longitudinally outwardly of the floor tool carriers 26. By reason of the short chain couple 20, the base members 18 and 19 of the bipartite planer 17, and in turn the cutting means on each such base member may be drawn into effective contact with the mine face in the corresponding direction of operation such that the trailing base member and the cutting tools thereof will be withdrawn slightly from the mine face whereby to minimize frictional resistance of such trail tools therewith.

Although some limited pivoting of the floor tool carriers 26 may take place, by reason of the positioning of the floor tools 29 thereon between the respective pair of runners 22 and 23 on each base member, the main tools 27 will keep the planer 17 in the desired positional relationship and prevent the more centrally disposed floor tools 29 from digging into the mine floor or from drifting upwardly thereaway even despite unevenness in the mine floor encountered during the back and forth travel of the arrangement. It will be realized that the use of runners in conjunction with a guide ramp together with the spatial positioning of the floor tools as compared with the runners will avoid excessive cutting into the floor by the floor tools or drifting upwardly thereaway as would otherwise occur with prior art constructions, and that leveling out of humps and hollows in the mine floor will be attained without the need for using keels, swords or other extensions of the planer underlying the guide means, conveyor, or the like, as were previously required to insure stabilized travel of the arrangement.

In accordance with the modification shown in FIG. 4, a top portal span or rig 30 may be provided containing the upper level cutting tools 31 at both ends thereof, in order to extract mineral at a level above the normal cutting level of the main cutters 25 and the auxiliary cutters 28. The longitudinal ends of the portal span 30 are connected via the transverse studs 32 to the corresponding upper portions of the main tool carriers 25. In this way the space below the portal span 30 is occupied by the floor tool carriers 26, and since the space 20" between such floor tool carriers 26 and in turn between the base members 18 and 19 is minimal due to the need only for a short chain couple 20 interconnecting the base members as a bipartite planer, extracted mineral which would otherwise flow therebetween is minimized and thus losses occurring from this source are correspondingly minimized.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 as well as that shown in FIG. 4, the planer base members 18 and 19 are provided with cutting tools for cutting in the corresponding direction of advance as the planer travels back and forth along the mine face. The cutting tools on the trailing base member are conveniently withdrawn from contact with the mine face, thus minimizing frictional losses, due to the type of articulated connection 20 utilized and the positioning in longitudinal direction of the various parts described above on each of the base members.

It will be realized that in connection with FIG. 3, the return strand of the chain 21 is not shown, although normally such strand will pass through the interior of ramp 11 protected from the mining operation and thus minimizing damage thereto which might otherwise occur. Such arrangements of drive chains for pulling planers reciprocally along a mine face are well known. So also is the use of runners to guide positively the bipartite planer on the longitudinal guide means, such as a conveyer and ramp arrangement as shown. Nevertheless, the improvement of the present invention concerns the longitudinal positional relationship of the floor tools with respect to the main tools and more importantly with respect to the upper runners 22 and 2.3 of each corresponding base member. This is in contrast with the conventional construction in which the floor tools 29 were disposed longitudinally outwardly of the main tools 27 and also longitudinally outwardly of the runners 22 and 23. Accordingly, the prior art disadvantages involved when the floor tools encountered a hump or hollow are avoided and instead eventual leveling off of the mine floor is attained as the winning of mineral progresses.

It will be realized that the use of the top portal span will be advantageous where it is desired to extract mineral from a seam of increased thickness over that normally encountered by the main tools 27. Thus a certain adaptability of the planer arrangement of the invention is possible whereby to work mine faces in which the seam to be won varies in thickness.

Whether the top portal span is used or not, the arrangement of the main cutting tools and of the outermost runners for the base members is such that in either direction of travel of the planer such parts lead the appropriate floor tool so that the space 20, between the base members 18 and 19 may be maintained as small as possible and only sufficiently large to accommodate a particular short chain couple 20. On the other hand, where the top portal span 30 is utilized, the great length thereof assures that the leading tools in the particular direction of advance will always out sufficiently deeply into the mineral, while the trailing tools will be withdrawn simultaneously from the mine face.

What is claimed is:

1. Bipartite mining planer adapted to be conducted longitudinally back and forth along a mine face in extractive engagement therewith, which comprises a pair of articulatedly interconnected longitudinally extending base members, main cutting means positioned on each said base member above the level of the mine floor for extractive engagement with the mine face in the corresponding operative direction, a pair of longitudinally spaced apart runner means connected to each said base member and adapted to be received guidedly in longitudinal guide means disposed along such mine face to maintain such planer in the desired longitudinal path along the mine face, and floor cutting means positioned on each said base member adjacent the mine floor and longitudinally between the corresponding pair of runner means thereat for extractive engagement with the mine face in the vicinity of the mine floor in the corresponding operative direction.

2. Planer according to claim 1 wherein said floor cutting means are positioned longitudinally intermediate the corresponding pair of runner means thereat.

3. Planer according to claim 1 wherein said main cutting means are positioned on said base members longitudinally outwardly of the corresponding floor cutting means in the corresponding operative direction.

4. Planer according to claim 3 wherein said floor cutting means are connected pivotally to said base members for limited pivotal movement toward and away from the mine floor in the vicinity of the intersection thereof with the adjacent mine face thereat.

5. Planer according to claim 1 wherein a longitudinally extending top portal span having auxiliary upper level cutting means operatively disposed thereon is articulatedly connected at the corresponding ends thereof to the corresponding base members longitudinally outwardly of said floor cutting means.

6. Planer according to claim 5 wherein said main cutting means are positioned on said base members longitudinally outwardly of the corresponding floor cutting means in the corresponding operative direction, and wherein said portal span is articulatedly connected to said base members via the corresponding upper end portions of said main cutting means.

7. Planer according to claim 6 wherein said portal span includes corresponding upper level cutting means at both ends thereof positioned above the particular main cutting means thereat for joint main and upper level cutting in the corresponding operative direction.

8. Planer according to claim 7 wherein corresponding longitudinal guide means are disposed along such mine face operatively guidingly receiving said runner means to maintain such planer in the desired longitudinal path along the mine face.

9. Planer according to claim 8 wherein said guide means includes a mining conveyor having guide track means thereon for guidingly receiving said runner means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,118,657 1/1964 Lobbe 299-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 831,832 2/1952 Germany.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

